What is with all of the questions...???.....

This week has been crazy yet inspiring. Church was awesome and I feel well rested,  and the Women of Excellence Lock In was amazing, what a great night with my friends. I am although, preparing to take an overnight trip with the hubby for his 29th birthday has proven exhausting. Although, the gesture was very thoughtful, packing for two people for one night is very tiring, mostly because I don't trust Mr. Beaven to thoroughly get everything together....you know....MEN!

My life is pretty carefree, I walk to work everyday, I live in the middle of the 14th (or maybe 16th) largest city, and I have an awesome career of almost 7 years in education. Yet, there are still so many questions that people have for me, has a lot to do with the expectations that people have for me.No one ever really ask why I smile so much or say please and Thank you to rude people at restaurants but mostly there are questions about the life choices I make, therefore, I am going to take time to answer the top 5 questions and I will speak now, or forever hold my peace, but mostly speak now.


5. Why do you have so many girlfriends
     Answer: Just in case there is some kind of social uprising, I need these women to have my back and furthermore the network of girlfriends I have, I have had for years....they are a very deserving and patient group and I feel blessed to have them. Lastly, in case my husband ever decides to pull some kind of Waiting to Exhale moment, I have people to help in the move.


4. Why are you so protective of your brother?
     Answer: He is adorable....but that isn't the reason. He and I are 10 years apart, he was always so much smaller than other kids. Therefore as his sister, I felt the need to protect him...not just from bullies but from heartbreak, and crazy people. Now, at the tender age of 20 I still have the same need and probably always will, why, because he is the only brother that I have and I need to make sure that he is protected and safe....so what sue me.
 
3. Why aren't you and Steve looking to purchase a home yet?
Answer: Well, I have heard that the housing market is on the increase....great! Although, living downtown is the equivalent to Beach Front property....I don't decorate well, and work like 50+ hours a week so home is only seen on the weekend. I don't garden and I am not remotely interested in planting flowers. This may change but as of now. I like living in the concrete jungle.

2. Why do you talk so much?
Answer: I have been asked this since I was little and I think I have it figured out. Now that I have gotten older, I don't say much at all, therefore, now, when I am not talking, everyone wants to know what's wrong!!!!! Make up your mind folks!

The magic question.....

1. When are you and Steve going to have children?
Answer: I respect the fact that so many people have been in this relationship with us for the past 6 years. I also love the fact that people think we are a great couple and very compatible. Don't get me wrong, I would love to wake up every 3 hours, feed my kid, spend my weekends at kiddie parties and have to find a sitter every time I feel the need to leave. I am very keen on the idea that one day, Steve and I will become parents to some poor unassuming child. Although, not right now!!!! I have a lot of friends with children and they are madly in love with their children and they are even really amazing parents. For me, this has to be a well thought out process and I chew on it every day because to be a parent means that you assume responsibility for someone else, when on most days, my Parents are still assuming responsibility for me....I did fall in a man hole. I realize that there is no easy way to become a parent and no guide to get your through the scrapped up legs, bloody noses, and heartache. I at least feel that Steve and I are entitled to a starter's guide because although, I do not mind baby sitting and looking after other people's children, or putting money in cards for the various kid parties I attend, I need to make sure that I am mentally prepared so that when the surprises happen I am not in total disarray. The reminders that I am almost 30, and my chances decrease from there are no longer necessary (Michelle Obama was like 32 or 33 before Malia was born) so stop doing it. Now, with that being said, when Steve and I do decide to reproduce.....we will have a LeBron James like press conference and alert President Obama and the whole staff of 106 & Park!

Although this is funny....as I countdown to 30 these are questions that I feel better about answering....Why? Because now I know the answers!

Lessons from My Granny

Greetings from Hump Day! This week has been eventful to say the least, but I am going to spare you the details of Resurrection Sunday. Although, it is not only on Easter that I am grateful for Calvary and the sacrifices made there for me, someone that definitely doesn't deserve it, but he did it anyway so I am grateful.

Yesterday, my Grandmother Aggie Lou Johnson turned 85! Which I think in itself is a huge accomplishment, she has lived through....World Wars, Great Depression and Segregation and 8 years of George Bush (although there was a silver lining there, she got to vote for Barack Obama and that made her proud). Therefore, I tip my hat to the woman is has been as much a fixture in my life as my parents. My Grandmother and I have always had a spectacular relationship which I attribute to the fact that she and I have an understanding, she understands me and I understand her, but don't ever think that we don't have our issues and fallout's. She hates that I color my hair and I hate that she spits on me when she dips snuff, but all and all I couldn't love her more.

Growing up with a grandmother who is so deep rooted in the South, there are so many lessons that she taught me. She maintained an open relationship with me on everything from me wanting to attend church online while I was in college to maintaining my sanity when I got married the lessons were immeasurable and it is awesome to have her with me now, but I realize that one day that may not be the case, so I wanted to take the opportunity to tell Aggie, I love her and dedicate this blog to her and also, share some of these lessons with you so that you can take a little piece of Aggie Lou with you too.....

Lesson 1-Right and Right and Right don't Wrong Nobody
Lesson 2-It doesn't matter what people say or do....carry yourself like a lady
Lesson 3-There is nothing that Cod Liver Oil will not solve
Lesson 4-Constipation is easy to solve....get prune juice
Lesson 5-If you do something, do it right and if you're not going to do it right, don't do it.
Lesson 6-Do wrong, wrong will follow, do right, right will follow
Lesson 7-Don't wear pants in church, its not right
Lesson 8-Make sure you have your own, not yours and a man, but YOUR OWN
Lesson 9-Pay God and Yourself
Lesson 10-Have that conversation with God, he's listening, it doesn't have to be on your knees necessarily, but have the conversation.


Therefore Aggie....thank you for every sacrifice you have made, every time I panic and you do not, and every situation that you insist will make me stronger. I adore and appreciate every lesson.

The Race.....The Kennedys....The Man Hole

Greetings!

I had such an eventful weekend. Steve and I along with my co workers participated in The Race for the Cure, which is such an amazing event, to see all of the survivors and people who support them is so super amazing and awe inspiring. I never realized how many people my age are affected my this disease and come out of it better and more aware people. Big ups to my girls Justina and Jess.

Then I went out with my friends to celebrate my friend Patrice's Birthday and this seems to be a constant feature these days...birthday parties which indicates to me that I party too much or have too many girlfriends, either way it was a blast in a glass

Then on Sunday, Steve and I spent the whole day watching The Kennedy's miniseries and resting, which I loved. It combined two great things, sleep and power. I am borderline obsessed with the Kennedy's because of the power, the prestige, and the thought that one family could be so powerful and yet so greedy at the same time and of course Jackie O, shes the reason all of my sunglasses are over sized like so...




Then came the man hole that I fell in, no this is not a test.....I really fell in a Man Hole and it was petrifying. Doing laundry, it wasn't sealed and I took a dive into the hole, obviously not all the way but a long enough way that I am all banged up and swollen. It was awful, injury pictures coming soon!

Therefore, the weekend was majorly eventful filled with the great, the bad and the ugly. Back to Yoga for me this weekend (I need some zen)

Until next time, have a Terrific Tuesday filled with Easy Going Thoughts!

Dee

A litle of me goes a long way......

Okay, so yesterday I gave up my blogging virginity and it was liberating. Although I did go home last night and have a bit of an anxiety attack because these days its what I do. I believe that total sanity is overrated and therefore I like living my life in what I refer to as "organized chaos." This would make my Mom kind of angry with me because she raised me to be a little more together ( I go to work at 9 and wake up at like 8:20), a little more graceful (I fall like all of the time), and question things a little less (I need an answer for everything). Therefore that probably has a ton to do with my anxiety attacks and all of the medicines prescribed for them (which I refuse to take). Although, ultimately, I am grateful for everything.....the good times, the bad times, and the times where I can not control my tears or laughter.


Therefore, I consider this week a get to know me week and here are a few of my favorite things.....



Hermes Bag

 


My family

 


They remind me of my friends



They take me to a happy place

 

My church



He was and still is a very big deal to me

 


These ladies have molded me in ways you dont even know....




Margaritas





My friends....they are there to pick me up when I fall down which is often

 


My Baby Cousins

 


My Hubby (Steve Beaven)



Old Pictures of my parents





Yep it's my favorite movie

 


I fell in love with hip hop somewhere at probably age 5





These girls are pure hilarity and I love them



Sasha and Mia....very big deal!




Girls Night



My Career



My Brother is so major

 

Wow! Look Ma I blog

I am not one of those people who hope that I get on Oprah with this blog, but I am looking forward to sharing my experiences as I countdown to my 30th birthday which is in 6 months and 6 months only!

It has been said that I think too much, I read a lot as a child and had this amazing childhood filled with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and amazing friends so who do I think I am garnering anxiety about turning 30?!?! Let me be frank with you, this journey started off exciting, I have a great career, great husband and loving family so I was like 30 was going to be a breeze. Then something in my head buzzed like a wrong answer on taboo and it all became too much. I was nervous, anxious and decided to find a way to avoid the birthday subject. Party=No, Cake=Hell No, "Get together"=forget about it.
I have since come to myself a little, but I have a feeling that these next few months will make me examine a few things and assuming this is cathartic, you will come along for the ride!

Love

Dee